The Power of Destiny
by Kurenai Yuki
Summary: A warrioress must sacrifice everything dear ti her in order to save her home from impending doom.  Simple summary for a first fic, ne?  8D


_Greetings, viewer. Allow me to welcome you to the first chapter of what will hopefully be an amazing experience; full of hope and grief, misery and happiness, and of course, the ultimate struggle between the forces of good and evil._

Disclaimer: Aahh, yes; the ever-despised notice that sums up my little-known importance and non-existent creativity and wealth. Listen carefully when I say this, children: "I, Ky, (hey, that rhymed!) do not, in any fashion, own any part (or parts for observan, analytical smart-alecks like myself) of Soul Calibur III. This includes the characters in Chronicles of the Sword." Though that has been a dream of mine for what seems to be many, many years, it will, sadly, never come to pass. However, this fic and the idea behind it is mine and mine alone.

Warning: Talk of war. Destuction. Violence. And all of those other words associated with the term. I don't believe cussing will be a problem, although colorful, um...phrases will be used throughout this fic.

Last note: I really hope you all enjoy the first chapter; it took quite a bit of time to write and edit it. And I'm terribly sorry that I'm so late in even posting it! So, this is for you, Kei and Tira!

**Chapter 1: The Conflict of War**

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Blades clashed. Skin torn and shredded. Fists and feet met head-on. 

Bombs were thrown. Faces greeted the ground none too gently. Piercing shrieks fell upon countless ears.

Strategies devised. Tactics set in motion. More cries.

A scheming emperor, Strife, attempting to destory an honorable general, Girardot. Greedy warlords. More screams.

And then... when it was all said and done...

There was silence.

It loomed over the strewn and tired soldiers, even as they mourned over the loss of friends and groaned from the pains of battle. A deafening silence that seemed to echo endlessly... But that stillness was replaced by the most unexpected sound...

Applause.

Who...? After all of the fighting, and the lying, and the strategizing... The pain, the remorse, the anger and bitterness... Who... Who would dare applaud at such a time? There was only one, and her name is **Victory**.

**Victory** was the being most sought after once a great war or massacre was over. Her arrival meant that someone had accomplished their mission; a kingdom would be taken over and entire battalions would fall before someone's might. This time, she graced the Grandall Empire's greatest general, Kirenai, with her prescence. It was her side that won, so Victory's appearance was expected, and did not shock the remaining soldiers, no. What _did_ stun them was her _applause_.

Applause? From** Victory**? She never clapped for _anyone_, no matter how great the force. But this time...this time, something happened. And everyone wondered what that could be, even as she strode to Kirenai, clad in her sapphire robe that reached her shins and black archaic warrior attire. **Victory** stopped in front of her and spoke to all that were there to witness:

"_Kirenai! By your might, courage, and determination, the Kingdom of Dalkia and the Haltesse Republic have fallen! You have done well. May your future endeavors also have fortunate outcomes. Until next time, my friend..._"

And with that, Victory vanished. Everyone turned to stare at Kirenai with astonishment, especially her friends Riese, Ailian, Aeneas, Xiaoxin, and Eurydice. The woman had a feeling that everyone was looking at her, so she just shrugged and said, "What did I do?" Her fellow fighters wanted to know that as well, and flocked to her; well, as well as they could due to their wounds. Kirenai promised to find answers soon, for she had none to offer. Needless to say, the people were not happy.

On their way home, her friends stopped as they saw a pair of twinkling, evil eyes gazing at them. But before they could even get a good look, the eyes disappeared. Kirenai's instincts told her that someone... somehow... would be attacking her home, and soon.

That was just the beginning.

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I hope you guys enjoyed the first chappie!! I know I did!

Well, anyhow, I really hope that this will live up to my friends', Keios and Tirani, expectations. Gimme some fantabulous reviews, 'kay? Love you guys much! (And you, too, dear readers!)

Until next time...


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